The Tigers’ Joe Jackson drives to the basket en route to his team-leading 16 points, as four of the heralded Memphis guards scored in double figures.

Photos by Mark Weber / The Commercial Appeal
Memphis freshman Nick King drives to the basket between Austin Peay’s Cory Arentsen (left) and Preston Herring during the second half. King had 11 points and five rebounds Thursday night at FedExForum.

Austin Peay had cut a 29-point deficit to 23 and there was University of Memphis coach Josh Pastner, screaming at senior guard Joe Jackson to pull the Tigers back together.

By now, Jackson has grown accustomed to that kind of in-your-face intensity from the fifth-year head coach — even when the game is well in hand.

"That's his job, man. He's gotta get the message through me so I can get it through to them," said Jackson, whose No. 13-ranked Tigers went on to build a 33-point lead late in an eventual 95-69 season-opening victory over Austin Peay at FedExForum.

"Me and him, we've got a relationship like that where he can get on me and I don't get mad no more. I took it in stride. I'm so used to him doing it, it's like a dad-son relationship. I know what he's doing it for."

The maturity and understanding the Tigers' "4Kingz" exhibited Thursday must set the tone for Memphis (1-0) this season.

Having given themselves that moniker this preseason, the Tigers' senior foursome of Jackson, Michael Dixon, Chris Crawford and Geron Johnson didn't disappoint, combining for 53 points and 25 rebounds.

A group Pastner has charged with leading the Tigers set the pace early as Memphis flew out to a double-digit lead by the 11-minute mark of the first half.

Each of the four guards finished with double figures in points, with Jackson leading Memphis with 16 points and seven assists.

Dixon added 15 points, Johnson contributed the first double-double of his career (11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds) and Crawford (11 points) helped make the game a blowout early with three first-half 3-pointers.

It was the kind of backcourt performance one would expect of a group some experts have called the best backcourt in the nation.

"I think we did a solid job, not only on the offensive and defensive end, but in leading," said Dixon, who added four rebounds, four steals and two assists.

"Coach Pastner stresses that we've gotta lead this team. We've got a lot of young guys and there were a lot of miscues out there because of our youth, but I think that everybody played hard and played the way that they're capable of playing."

Some of those miscues included 21 turnovers, though Pastner attributed many of those to a sloppy second-half effort in which the Tigers allowed Austin Peay (1-1) to shoot 51.5 percent.

Memphis also gave up too many easy buckets inside — Austin Peay scored 48 points in the paint — as a result of the Governors getting behind the Tigers' press.

But overall, it was a solid first outing for the Tigers, who will undoubtedly have to be much better defensively when they take on No. 8-ranked Oklahoma State on Tuesday in Stillwater.

"They can score a lot of points on you in a hurry," Austin Peay coach Dave Loos said. "We came unraveled pretty early and it was over."

As the game turned

By the time Crawford hit his third 3-pointer of the first half, the game was over for all intents and purposes.

His third 3-pointer gave Memphis a 34-18 lead that it turned into a 51-29 advantage by halftime.

Crawford, last year's Conference USA Sixth Man of the Year, added eight rebounds, four assists and four steals to go with his 11 points in 23 minutes off the bench. He looked every bit the spark plug he was for the Tigers last season.

That's what he said

"It's a good opportunity for the University of Memphis and my teammates — not just me. We're going in there to win." — Jackson on the Tigers' nationally televised game Tuesday at Oklahoma State.

Miscellaneous

Freshman forward Kuran Iverson didn't dress Thursday as he served a one-game suspension by the NCAA for playing in an unsanctioned summer league event. Iverson played in the Hartford Pro-Am after appearing in the Bluff City Classic. The NCAA allows college players to play in one, but not two, summer league tournaments. ... Pastner did not play freshman guard Markel Crawford, who is considering redshirting. His sitting out Thursday is probably an indication that the former Melrose standout is leaning toward redshirting. ... Pastner on the Tigers' 21 turnovers: "When we press like we do, you are going to have some turnovers. But we cannot have as many as we had."